1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to wall beds. More particularly, this invention relates to a cabinet wall bed with a unique locking system for securing the bed within the cabinet.
2. Prior Art
Wall beds and wall-enclosed pieces of furniture are widely used where available space within a room is limited. For example, wall beds are frequently used in hotels, motels, or other such limited space facilities to provide sleeping accommodations without sacrificing floor space. This type of bed is generally provided with a rotation system that allows the bed to pivot upwards from its generally horizontal position to a generally vertical storage position adjacent to or contained within a wall. Because the weight involved in even a medium size bed can be considerable, counterbalancing mechanism is required to make it easier for a person to raise such a wall bed from its horizontal position to its storage position.
Numerous mechanisms have been designed to satisfy this counterbalance requirement. One such prior art arrangement uses torsion bar springs as the main element of the counterbalance mechanism. U.S. Pat. No. 3,877,086 discloses a parallel frame structure having one or a pair of vertically spaced beds mounted for pivotal movement between horizontal and vertical. Torsion bars extend within shafts of the bed and are connected at the outer end to the frame structure. These torsion bars are connected to the bed by mounting members that are movable to vary the lengths of the bars U.S. Pat. No. 3,116,494 discloses another wall bed arrangement with a box spring and mattress which is supported on a wall panel wherein a torsion bar assembly is used to enable the bed to be rotated between its storage and horizontal positions.
Other hidden or wall bed systems use other forms of spring or counterweight mechanisms which operate to support the bed as it is rotated from its horizontal to its vertical position. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,736,476 discloses a wall bed mechanism containing a series of springs extending from the lifting assembly to the support frame such that the spring mechanism is placed under tension as the bed rotates into the reclining position and relaxes as the bed rotates into the storage position, thereby assisting a user in storing the bed. Other forms of springs, coil springs and counterweights in wall beds are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 416,010, 483,724, 598,841, 640,965, 2,672,624, 3,046,572, 3,097,369 and 3,464,070.
In addition, a counterbalance hinge for pivoting loads which might be useful with wall type beds is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,999,245.
Another method for supporting a wall bed and for assisting in moving that wall bed from the horizontal to the vertical position is by use of a piston. For example, the use of a gas filled piston for supporting and assisting in the movement of the wall bed is disclosed in a catalogue titled The Complete Hafele, published by Hafele America Company, dated July, 1985, page 2.59 through 2.61.
Many devices have been designed to counterbalance wall beds. However, no effective devices have been designed which secure them in their closed position consistently. Generally speaking, there has been little concern about the method of securing wall beds within their cabinets because the tension bar, counterweight or spring mechanism which holds the bed vertical has generally provided sufficient support for the bed. However, in modern hotels or motels more security and safety is required to protect the patrons of the facility from an undesired opening of the wall bed.
Another feature of the wall beds that has remained generally unchanged for many years are the legs which support the wall beds. Conventional hinged or pivot-type legs have been used, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 640,965, 483,724, 3,097,369 and 3,046,572. The Hafele bed, previously disclosed, uses legs which are retracted from the bed, rotated 90.degree. and hidden within the surface of the bed frame. No attempt has been made to use these supports as anything other than legs for the bed. In addition, these legs as currently designed have no decorative value.
An additional feature not present in prior art wall beds is a simple, inexpensive system to lock the wall beds in a closed position.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to disclose a useful, inexpensive, easy to produce cabinet wall bed.
It is an additional object of the invention to disclose a cabinet wall bed whose rotational movement is limited by a counterbalance piston.
It is an additional object of this invention to disclose a unique leg-locking and supporting system which will both support the end of the cabinet wall bed and, in addition, lock the wall bed securely in place in its vertical position.
These and other objects of the invention will be apparent to those knowledgeable in the field from a consideration of the following detailed description, drawings and claims. The description, along with the accompanying drawings, provide a selected example of construction of the device to illustrate the invention.